Ways of forming imperatives
There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.
Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:
Second Person Affirmation
| Shíká | ’anilyeed. |
| 1-for | 2-run.I |
| Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.) | |
Second Person Negation
Optative
| Mósí | ch’óółt’e’. |
| cat | out-3-2-take.Opt |
| Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]] | |
Optative + lágo
| Mósí | ch’óółt’e’ | lágo. |
| cat | out-3-2-carry.O | hope.not |
| Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out. | ||
t’áadoo V-í
| T’áadoo | ’anit’íní! |
| neg | 2-do.NI-Í |
| Don’t do that! | |
Fourth Person Affirmative
| Hatáaldi | jigháahgo | hozhdísin | łeh. |
| ceremony-at | 4-go.I-GO | 4-respect.NI | usually |
| One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony. | |||
Fourth Person Negation
| Doo | ’ájíníi | da! |
| neg | 4-say.NI | -neg |
| One doesn’t say that! | ||
The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.
In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.
Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.
lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CII am busy melting some lard.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dishhį́įh melt itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashá go aboutfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.
2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO’Ashą́ą́ nít’ę́ę́’ t’áadoo hooyání shaa ’ílwod.
1-eat.Prog past suddenly 1-for 3-drive.P’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.
meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.I’Áádę́ę́’ nánísdzáago łį́į́’ bá ni’deeshjoł.
from.there 1-return.p-GO horse 3-for pl-1-feed.FAt’ééd aní shí k’ad naalyéhé báhooghango déyá. Nit’éé’ bimá aní k’adee’ da’iigháásh.
girl 3-say.IP 1-now goods 3-for-home-GO directional-go. past 3-mother 3-say.IP now time-sleep.Béégashii yáázh ła’ shibee’í’diidłííd bik’i niní’ą́.
calf one 1-cattle.brand 3-on 3-1-put.NPbik’ídadiidis
pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.ICh’ééh jidighaahgo, ajółhosh laanaa jinizin łeh.
in.vain 4-walk.I-GO, 4-sleep.O hope 4-want.CI usuallyDa’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.
restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.FDaango k’ééda’dilyééh nt’éé’ t’áádoo k’ééda’diilyáa da.
spring-GO 3-plant.R past NEG 3-3-plant.P NEGWe used to plant in the springtime, but this time we didn’t.
bookmark- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Iterative (R)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’idishłé plant itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’idishłé plant itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
daohtł’ó
pl-3DO-2dpl-weave.it.IDichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh dzinízin?
hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NIDíí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.
this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.ProgDziłghą́ą́’í bizaad doo shił bééhózin da.
White.Mountain.Apache-NOM 3-language NEG 1-with 3-ho-know.CI NEGGólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish nỉ.
skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.Ihadadoołbįįd
pl-3DO-2dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.Phadeidééłbįįd
pl-3DO-3dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.Phadeidínóołchał
pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Fhadeiilgéésh
pl-3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.Ihajíígeed
3DO-4-dig.it.out.Phaniilchaad
3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).IHáí shą’ ’ałhosh?
who Q 3-sleep.IHodíina’go bááh dootł’izhí deeshį́į́ł dóó ’ahwéé bił ła’ deeshdlį́į́ł.
after.a.while-GO bread blue 3-1-eat.F and coffee 3-with some 3-1-drink.FIn a while, I will eat blue corn bread and drink some coffee with it.
bookmark- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yíshą́ eat itfind in Navajo Verb Modeslook up conjugationhide conjugation ▾
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishdlą́ drink itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- hodíina’ágo after a whilefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
K’ad dibé ch’íi’nííł.
now sheep 3-2-du-take.out.IKʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.
stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-ínaohłé
3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.INáá’íídéeshtah nisin doodago t’óó siláogóó deeshááł.
again-1-go.school.F 1-want or merely military-to 1-go.FNichxǫ’ t’áadoo baa nánít’íní.
stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-ÍNighéí na’ashch’ąą’ígíí níil’į́.
over.there painting-ÍGÍÍ 3-2-du.look.Inisoołkáá’
3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.PSaad naashkaahgo baa naashá.
word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.ProgShimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééh déyáago shił náhoogéé’.
1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.XI wanted to go to my mother’s house however I was tired and became lazy.
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, tryfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Shiyáázh niʼíłtááh. Bá daʼdiidííł; ʼákohgo chʼiyáán ʼálʼį́įgi shiká ʼadoojah.
1-son 3-graduate.I 3-for 1pl-eat.F so-then food indef-make-at 1-after 3pl-help.FT’ah nagháíí yę́ędą́ą́’ ’áłchíní nízaadi da’ółta’ nít’ę́ę́’.
still there past children far-at pl-3-read.I pastNot too long ago children went to school far away.
bookmark- t’ah nagháíí yę́ędą́ą́’ not long agofind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- yę́ędą́ą́’ (-ę́ędą́ą́’, -’ą́ądą́ą́’) when (in the past)find in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nit’ee’ pastfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.
neg 2-oversleep.OT’áá ’aaníí ’aníigo t’éiyá doo bikee’ saad si’ą́ą da.
truly 3-say.I-GO only NEG 3-behind word 3-sit.SPN NEGIf he’s telling the truth there will be nothing to say about it later.
bookmark- t’éiyá onlyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áá ’aaníí trulyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -kéé’ behind, followingfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- da expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkááł.
water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.OC.FTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!
quickly tortilla 3-2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.FTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ánílééh; nimásání nihaa níyá!
quickly tortilla 2-make.I 2-mat.grandma 1.pl-to 3-came.PHurry and make tortillas; your grandma is came (to us).
bookmark- tsxį́įłgo quickly, fastfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashłééh makefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- goal




